


Ghosts Abound

by lrs002



Series: Lrs002’s writing of 2020 [16]
Category: Confessions of Dorian Gray, Torchwood
Genre: Dorian is being harassed, Dorian is so done, Jack steps into help, Kissing, M/M, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:35:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22974112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lrs002/pseuds/lrs002
Summary: Captain Jack Harkness is still running Torchwood, but on a rare lunch break out he runs into an old friend, fellow immortal Dorian Gray, not that he knows it; and Dorian Gray can’t catch a break, ghosts follow him everywhere and apparently that also means Cardiff.
Relationships: Dorian Gray/Jack Harkness, Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Series: Lrs002’s writing of 2020 [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1590145
Kudos: 7





	Ghosts Abound

**Author's Note:**

> Hi just want to let people know that it's been a long time since I've written anything Torchwood related and I've only just started to listen to a couple of Big Finish audios about Dorian Gray and his adventures so please go easy on me. Also the only actual version of Oscar Wilde's novel I've had contact with is the Big Finish version, so I apologize if the characters seem off. 
> 
> Thanks and Enjoy.

It’s Saturday, pale English sunshine peeks through grey clouds, a chill wind blows down the street and Captain Jack Harkness feels like a dead man walking. 

Too much saving the world,Too little sleep Jack thinks to himself. Not that he needs much sleep but even a man changed by a warp star’s core has needs. And he had needed to get out of the Hub. So, after he told Gwen he was stepping out for lunch, getting a promise from her that she’d call at the first sign of rift activity he stepped out into the sun.

Not having a detestation in mind he’d just let himself wander aimlessly but now looking around he knows he’s in an older but posh part of town. Probably close to that new fancy tea and coffee shop that Gwen keeps talking about.

He usually prefers to avoid coffee shops but he could use a bite to eat. Plus he’s feeling generous, the rest of the team could use a sweet treat for all the hard work they’ve been doing lately. Why not kill two birds with one stone.

So, with a small smile on his face Jack heads in direction of what he hopes is Honeysuckle Street, he remembers that Gwen mentioned the shop was on the corner.  
By the time he finds the shop, Jack is in a sour mood; he’s not hungry anymore and his thoughts are sad and dark because he keeps thinking of a well dressed, coffee obsessed lover that would if he’d been given the chance would have dragged Jack here on a date.

“Oh Ianto,” He mumbles as he stares at the shop “I miss you.”

The shop is definitely somewhere he himself would have taken Ianto if he had wanted to spoil him. It’s fancy. A white building squished between two very tall dark red brick buildings the shop definitely lives up to it’s name of Little Teapot because the only way to describe the building is actually short and stout and just shy of ugly at least on the outside.

While the outside leaves something to be desired it makes up on the inside or at least from what Jack can see of the inside standing outside on the street, peering into the shop he sees dark wood tables, large green chairs, waiters and waitress dressed in black, and bar a some sort with what he assumes is the best tasting sweets anyone can think of.   
Jack however doesn’t feel like going in anymore. Not even a little bit.

His mind is too full of Ianto. His feelings are crushing him. Right now Jack is tempted to either run or return to The Hub and throw himself into work but he knows Gwen would be upset with him either way.

What Jack needs is a distraction, preferably someone who’s willing to help him forget about Ianto for a while. Someone who doesn’t mind being used. Maybe someone in the shop will be amenable.

That thought is what gets him through the door. 

It doesn’t take long for Jack to spot someone in need.

The young man is sitting at a booth in the far back corner that’s mostly dark because there’s really no bright overhead light, just dim lighting and pale sunlight is how Jack is able to spot him. Dark curls that are shoulder length, pale, pale skin and sharp cheekbones and fantastically kissable lips. He was gorgeous, but if Jack was being honest with himself the young man looked very familiar to Jack and that is why he was intrigued.

There was also the fact that pale and dark haired looked ready to throw down. However, the young woman standing front of him didn’t seem to get the memo that she was about to be murdered.

The young man probably didn’t even realize he’s being ogled too focused on the girl standing over him, harassing him to pay much attention to anything else at the moment.   
“Oh honey,” the young woman said, “You can’t be that tired, not if you're reading that.” The girl said 

“Look, Polly, was it. I don’t care that you think I’m cute.” The young man said standing up moving to move away from the booth voice like ice “I’m this close to punching your lights out because I am in fact tired, and I was here, reading because I am waiting on a cup of coffee.”

“And me.” Jack said stepping up, two heads turned to look at him and finally it hit him why the young man looked familiar. The young man looked like a carbon copy of an old lover, Dorian Gray.

“You were waiting for me too weren’t you Dorian?” He asked putting a hand on the man’s arm

Jack wasn’t sure it was Dorian though, because DNA worked weird and sometimes relatives, grandchildren or sometimes it was just Jack’s luck that completely different people looked like his past loves.

“Who the fuck are you?” The girl asked

“Captain Jack Harkness and I’d appreciate it if you’d stop hitting on my boyfriend.”

The girl stared at them then her face soured and she turned away and stomped off, muttering under her breath.

The man turned to him fully and Jack finally got a look at the young man’s eyes. His eyes were like his own tired, filled with pain and seen way too much.   
And Old, so old but that didn’t mean anything. It could just be that the man had been to war one too many times.

“And, who are you?” Jack asked

“Jack.” The young man rasped, staring at him

He raised an eyebrow, “That’s my name, don't wear it out. I believe I was asking the questions.”

“Sorry, you just remind me of someone I used to know. I’m Mr. Gray.” 

“You’re first name wouldn’t happen to be-

“Dorian.” Gray said, interrupting Jack, “No, afraid not first name’s John.”

“Well, I guess we all can’t be named after fabulous men.” Jack said and 

John Gray chuckled but continued to stare.

The man was staring at an almost desperate haunted look on his face; a look filled with such pain and hurt it was hard to look at. Almost like Gray couldn’t trust himself to believe that Jack was real but Jack was real. He was flesh, blood and had a soul, He had tattered, dark soul but he is still a soul. And the look John Gray gave off right now was that he was lost and any good soul who saw the young man look like that they’d wrap him in blankets and give him tea. Jack, however, wasn't a good soul so he did what he usually did to erase that look off his own face, which was kissing people.

So. Captain Jack Harkness ended up kissing a Mr. John Gray.

\- -

“You Bastard.” Dorian said, pulling away from Jack, moved past the man and exiting the shop, moving fast, long coat billowing behind him.

He sighed, everyone or thing wanted a piece of him lately, viewed him as a piece of meat; Monsters wanted either kill or frame him for something and, basically everything living or dead wanted to fuck him, ghosts of long dead loves included. 

Dorian was a sexual being by nature and usually he’d be down for it but not after the night he just had. He was so so tired.

He knew coming back here was not the greatest idea Great Britain was always a bad place for Dorian to be, no matter where he went he was always haunted by ghosts.

Apparently so was Cardiff; a place Dorian had never been before.

“John!” Jack called running after him

Dorian ignored him and continued walking.

“John!” Jack yelled, grabbing his arm finally catching up.

Damn his shorter stature, Dorian thought as he spun around to face the man or the ghost that was always in his dreams, he wasn’t quite sure which was alive or just his own mind playing one of its cruel tricks.

He scowled at Jack, “Go away.”

“You forgot your book.” 

Dorian glances down to Jack’s hands, held in one is the book he’d been attempting to read before the girl had started bugging him.

“Thank you.” He said 

Their fingers brushed as Jack handed over his book and Dorian couldn’t keep his reaction to himself. 

He gasped, Dorian couldn’t believe Jack was warm to the touch.

He was actually real. Jack was real. 

\---

Jack watched as an awed, hopeful look appeared on Mr. Gray’s face before it disappeared behind a cool, indifferent mask.

Weird.

Mr. Gray took the book from him and said.“Thank you and good day.” failing to hide the anger that laced his words and walked away, leaving Jack staring after him.

Why would a young man like that be so angry with him? It's not like they’d been lovers long ago. The real Dorian Gray, unlike the fictional character, had been dead for quite a while. 

Maybe kissing a man who just wanted to be left alone hadn’t been the best idea. Maybe.


End file.
